


Just One Night at the Veteran Center

by CuteVyper



Series: 50 Kisses Challenge (and experiments) [3]
Category: Far Cry (Video Games), Far Cry 5
Genre: 50 kisses challenge, F/M, Hope is weird at times, Non-Consensual Tattooing, consensual drug use, exercise, prompt 22, this can be considered a self-insert for Deputys lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28832094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuteVyper/pseuds/CuteVyper
Summary: Prompt 22 - A kiss that is leading to more, but is interrupted by a third party.Starring Jacob Seed aka The Soldier aka The Red Werebear.(Disclaimer: it's not a werewolves fic. I just call him that.)
Relationships: Jacob Seed/Original Character(s), Jacob Seed/Original Female Character(s)
Series: 50 Kisses Challenge (and experiments) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108076
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Just One Night at the Veteran Center

It was just another day at the Veteran Center when Hope Celine Ark just had enough of the bullshit of one certain ginger. It was worse since he really loved to put her patience to test. 

Before, whenever she would defy him, he would just watch her for a hot minute and then motivating it with ‘she was free to babble’, he would just drag her to the training gym so they could wrestle. She would desperately try not to slaughter him ‘accidentally’ and if he was on a shitty day, just open her radio to the Father’s channel and watch him, daring him to shoot her with his freaking red pistol. 

He liked to point it at her sometimes to intimidate. It had the same impact as a toddler pointing a water gun at her. She was unimpressed and would resume whatever she was doing. He was annoyed further and after staring at her for a few seconds he would leave. She didn’t know what he did and she neither bothered with asking. 

If he decided to be mature that day, he would just throw her out of the center and not allow her entry until he decided that she stopped acting like a 'brat'.

She would just go to the Siren's or the Baptist's. They both liked her company for some reason, both of them trying to convince her to stay more each time she visited. And when she felt really petty because Seed really had no reason to chase her out of the center she would just go to the Father's compound. 

He, in exchange, wanted her to accompany him wherever he went. He rarely asked her to do something. It peeved her. 

Thus, giving her a reason to visit less the Father, but for some reason Seed would just immediately drag her back to the Whitetails as soon as he got wind that she was staying with him. 

Ugh, she really hated having to call them by their titles... but she couldn’t call them all Seed. As much as it annoyed her. 

The only reason she could come up with the fact Seed wanted her back was because he wanted her as far away from the Father. Most likely he was still wary of her. And will always be. She didn’t judge him for it considering she still hadn’t drunk from the Father's religious Kool-Aid. 

Either way, she never stopped openly defying him for whatever bullshit order he came up with that would just make their lives harder. In her defense, they needed men and wolves more now than ever. Considering the work of the Deputy only renewed the morale of Palmer and his Militia. But then again, Seed justified his bullshit with the fact they needed to turn the Deputy into their perfect tool to finally put an end to the Whitetails. Thus, making them loose Chosen and Judges continuously.

 _Only you, Deputy._

Bunch of bullshit. 

Such a waste of resources for a person they should have just Blissed and turned into an Angel. But no, The Father wanted Hell to actually be saved, not turned into a mindless puppet at the Siren's beck and call. 

And what the Father says, it's done. 

Always. 

No matter how much of a waste of time it is. And no matter how much she insisted upon it whenever they talked about it. He would just give her a sad smile. 

“Sister Hope, you should let your kindness reach the Deputy just as you have let it reach me and my family. Do not let your wrath deter you from saving the Deputy. Maybe you should spend some time with John?” 

Then, to her annoyance, he would send her straight to the Valley where she was supposed to Confess and Atone with the Baptist's help. She was glad he was giving her preferential treatment and just Blissed her whenever he had to carve into her. 

She already had tattoos of her sins (she couldn't just skip that part upon initiation) and since she didn't want any more tattoos, she would just let him scar her (her skin was already ruined anyway). Although she began to avoid Confession as much as possible (and the Baptist even if it was much harder and he tried to make her feel bad for it... which he failed at).

The reason? Once, Seed just asked her if she was fooling around with his baby brother whenever she was in the Valley. 

Confused and insulted, she denied it but just to prove her his point he pushed towards the bathroom in his office/sleeping quarters and showed her the new tattoo on her shoulder. The initials J.S. in black ink mocked her in the mirror. 

The bastard tattooed her while she was Blissed. 

And she didn’t want to even think what else did he do to her. 

“What the actual fuck?!”

He must have recognized her disbelief and disgust as genuine. He just left her, gawking, in his bathroom telling her he will have a chat with the Baptist about it. Also told his Chosen she wasn’t allowed out of the center because the bastard knew what she was thinking. He knew she would have gone down to the Valley and confront the little bastard about it. With a knife. At least. 

Screw his title, she was no one’s property. She won that privilege. 

She cursed him for being the Protector. He actually laughed – Jacob Seed, the Soldier, was actually laughing, and it didn’t sound half bad – at her discomfort. Most likely because the majority of time she was poker faced and rarely she showed any emotion. 

The next day after, Seed acted as if somebody pissed in his cereal. She didn’t know what set him off in order to make him try harder to terrorize anyone in his region. It had been a bad week. She just figured it had something to do with the chat he mentioned before. 

Why? Because the Father didn’t allow her anymore to go to the Baptist for Confessions. 

The youngest Seed sent her a couple of gifts with a written apology. An actual written letter. She honestly thought it was a quite a long list of slurs thrown at her but no. He was actually saying sorry. (Did the Siren or The Father coerce him...?) 

And the oldest Seed would actually listen to anything she would say without interrupting her. Also, he gave her enough chores that needed to be done immediately that she couldn’t even take a breath or even request a meeting with him to understand what happened.

But what was weirdest? She actually felt his gaze over her more times than the usual. Wherever she would go he will be in the same room, doing whatever he was doing, but still watching her... She would have teased him about it if she didn’t want to keep up with her stone-cold persona. She even considered that he thought whenever she would get an actual moment of respite, she would run down to the Valley to have a chat with his little brother; and that he needed to keep her in check. 

Anyway, she considered this was further proof the Collapse was coming. No matter if it was divine retribution or human madness that killed them all. 

And he got even weirder. 

He started out of nowhere to accompany her to her morning jogs. 

Which eventually turned into a competition. They had more or less the same number of wins and losses. And excuse her impertinence but she would get such satisfaction when she would see him out of breath... Yet ran away to the showers when she would see him take his t-shirt off and he would be all sweaty. She hated sweat and seeing how good he looked even if he was 44. 

She needed to learn his dietary plan. 

He would watch her as she trained the Chosen in firearms or knife fights and even add a little comment here and there that wasn’t trash talking. As in calling her too soft on the recruits. She would just say his Neo-Darwinism was getting out of hand but rise the difficulty of her challenges, bit by bit so he wouldn’t have an actual reason to cage her for disobedience. And her results were pretty good. Only if the Deputy, like the force of nature they represent, wouldn’t kill her students so quickly... things would be better.

He asked her to actually take care of confidential documents, along with former Deputy Pratt, but it was still something. She would make small talk with him and he wasn’t a smartass... so she kind of felt bad whenever he would sport any new fresh bruises courtesy of Seed. They would just shut up when Seed would come around to check on them. And somedays when she knew Jacob wasn’t around to bother them, she would just give him her food. As thanks for entertaining her. And she knew how to deal with hunger better. 

Seed even asked her – Her! - to help him disinfect some claw marks he got from one of the newest batch of Judges – poor Judge, the poor wolf must have been terrified seeing the big red beast approaching – just because she was in the infirmary talking with Andrews, the doctor on shift, for some painkillers. She just watched him with an annoyed stare. Andrews cleared his throat and told her he won’t be able to help her since they were left with none until the next shipment. Afterwards steered clear after he received a glare from the bastard. 

Smart man, Andrews. But she was displeased anyway because she had no way to deal with her migraines and worse, her period cramps. So, she labeled him a coward. 

Without any other excuse she attended to Seed and whenever he would try, for some reason, make small talk she would answer him curtly. She really was in no mood for his mocking. 

“Are you going soft on me Ark?” 

“You wish.” 

“Why do you need painkillers? Did you get sloppy and got injured, pup?” 

“I’m still a woman Seed.” 

“Really, I could have never guessed.” 

“Even if I can kick your ass? Yes. Shocking, right?”

Anything else he said? She ignored. She didn’t need his mocking right now. 

The next day she woke up and immediately got a packet from a Chosen with painkillers and some cupcakes with chocolate chips... which were a rarity lately and her favorites. 

Now she either A) was high on Bliss, B) had been captured by aliens or C) was delivered cupcakes that were poisoned... But it still didn’t make sense the painkillers. She only mentioned it to Andrews and Seed. Andrews told her he was out and Seed... no way he did it. Or did he thought that her cramps will affect her productivity? 

She was going for C on the fact that those cupcakes were poisoned. Only Terry from cafeteria should know these were her favorites since she would exchange stuff he requested for an extra cupcake. But he wouldn’t have sent her these through a Chosen. As for the medicine... the only logical answer was that Andrews did find some. No way The Soldier would have helped someone that was getting weak, even for a small period of time, out of... she didn’t even know what to call it. Sympathy? But he hated her guts! 

...Pity? He wouldn’t dare... Did he? 

She skipped them anyways. 

When she went to the starting point for her daily jog, she was surprised to see Jacob Seed waiting there... for her apparently. 

“You’re late Ark! Let’s move!” 

She just stared at him, trying to understand what has been going on during the last 2 weeks and since the origin of her confusion was in front of her, she might as well ask him. 

“How and why?” 

“You will need to elaborate, angel.” 

She rolled her eyes at the mocking nickname and reformulated her question. 

“How did you know about the cupcakes and why did you give me painkillers?”

He stared at her in silence, mirroring her own poker face, aside for some small details that were fleeting and she couldn’t decipher unfortunately. Since he stayed silent and she was already irritated she decided to move on with the day. Even if her own ignorance irked her. 

“Forget it. Let’s run.” 

“I did it because I don’t believe you’re weak.” 

She stilled at that and watched him like a deer caught in the headlights. And afterwards like a hawk, searching him for bullshit. Because no way Jacob Seed, the Soldier, the Neo-Darwinism psychopath of the Whitetails, just now called her strong. OK, he actually called her not weak but still it seemed like a joke. She returned to her options list and from C) changed her mind to A). 

“As for the cupcakes, you and Wilkins were not so secretive about it either.” 

Shit. 

“So... in the end those cupcakes were drugged and you just wanted to punish me and Terry for exchanging items under the counter?” 

It was his moment to still. For what reason? She didn’t know but she was still wary. Honestly, she expected him to have shot her already for her irregularities since Seed wasn’t playing around unless you really pissed him off. Then you really prayed for him to just have killed you. She had seen it before with certain hostages that defied Jacob until the end. Even with the Deputy but they proved to be more resilient than the others. But they couldn’t continue like this forever. One day Seed will get to them and things won’t end up pretty. 

And then he started to laugh, the lunatic, as if she said the Father and the Baptist would look amazing in pink. 

What the...? 

She continued to stare and after he finally stopped, he looked at her straight in the eye and with a smug grin said: “I’m flattered you think so highly of me, Ark, but no, those cupcakes weren’t drugged. And neither was I planning to punish you and Wilkins. I’m more than aware you guys are not the only ones doing this kind of deals in my region.” Well... at least she didn’t have to be so cautious anymore. 

“... Thanks Seed... I guess.”

“And why the fuck do you call Wilkins by his name?” The question came out of nowhere, in her opinion, but it’s not like she wasn’t accustomed to the new weirdness that seemed to possess Seed lately. 

“Why not?” 

“You don’t call anyone by their name.” He said it just like as if he stated “Water is wet.”. As if it was a universal fact... And it was kind of true thinking about it. She did address everyone by their surnames besides for Terry. She just got too familiar with him after talking about their shitty pasts one night. 

“After months of knowing him I just started using his name. Is there a problem?” 

“Yes.” 

She just stared at him confused. The Father would actually praise her if he knew of such thing while The Baptist and The Siren would just get upset that she doesn’t consider them her friends yet (or in the Baptist case, friends with benefits). She always considered Seed wouldn’t give a fuck about it. From what she can see, she was actually wrong. For once. 

“Alright, before I call you a jackass for no reason, by your standards, would you mind explaining why I cannot call Terry by his name?” She gave him a pointed stare just to try to intimidate him for a bit. She knew it was worthless but it didn’t kill her to try. 

He averted his gaze from her for a second that if she wasn’t staring, she wouldn't have catch it, and with an impassive look answered her. 

“Because you know me and my brothers for far longer. Yet you always call us by our surnames or our titles.” 

Was that a little sadness she heard there? Was she in zone 51? Freddy Krueger? Aliens? Or did she die? 

“... Yeah... Because you’re my superiors.” For once she dropped her guard and showed her puzzlement to the entire world. It was easy to show anger and annoyance because those intimidated others, but not confusion and other useless feelings. He got surprised she actually dropped the cold façade. Once she saw his realization, she schooled her expression once again. But she was sure he won’t forget it any time soon. Maybe find some way to rub it in her face. 

“You know us since we got here Hope. Hell, you even let us settle in your ranch at the beginning.” And it was true. She did just let the Seeds and their followers use the land of her ranch when everyone pushed them away with the condition they would not mess with the apple and lemon orchards. 

She just considered it a last act of kindness toward thy neighbor. Father Abraham would have been so proud of her if he knew at the time. Not so proud afterwards if he knew she was actually helping a cult. Too bad she didn't have anything better to do.

“... Alright. You actually give a normal argument... and I can’t call you a jackass. So, it would only be fair... I guess... We’re already 10 minutes late I believe so let’s run.” She was about to start running when... 

“Say it.” His voice struck her as if it was an actual thunderbolt.

“What?” She tried to play dumb but they both knew she was too smart for that. Did that sound like gloating? Pride? She will keep it to herself for now. No need to waste the Father’s time. And he would expect her to call him by name too... There was no doubt Seed will share this development with the Father, and the Baptist would hear soon enough too. 

Yes, a battle towards improvement won, indeed. 

“Hope.” Of course, he wouldn’t drop it. Like always. What did she expect? Why did she even call Wilkins, Terry? She’s dumb, not smart. 

“Yes... S-” She quickly stopped herself when she saw the glare from the Sol- Shit. 

“Ja-...” When the fuck saying someone’s name turned into rocket science? It was just a dumb name!... 

But things wouldn’t be the same after that, don’t they? She would start to care. And she’d rather avoid such change. 

When she took too long to say it, he just suddenly got in her space – like a jackass, ha! - and lifted her view to his by her chin. They were staring in each other’s eyes as if they were two protagonists confessing their love to each other in a romantic movie. Or better said two mortal enemies ready for a final battle. She preferred the latter. 

Also, curse his 6’3 and her 5’6. She was just about to kick him in the shin and he must have predicted it when he said. 

“Nothing wrong is going to happen if you say my name Hope.” And when he looked at her like... that. All serious as if he knew with certainty that what he said was a fact, she almost believed him. Almost. 

“Jacob.” She said it in such a small voice she even doubted for a second if he heard her. But no, she knew he had so much better hearing. So why the hell was he still holding her so close to him? 

“Didn’t heard you, Ark.”

“Fine, but if you drop also the nicknames and the ‘Ark’ too. You know I hate it. Or you let me call you nicknames too.” She wanted a compromise, otherwise she was just about to kick him where it must hurt (See, another development! Before she would’ve shot him. She was improving. Slow but it was happening.) and run as if the devil was on her tail. And for what she knew… No, that was not right. A horseman of Apocalypse. Yeah, that was better. It helped with the theory that the Collapse was coming the next day also. 

“Just say it.” Two words: Jackass and an entire list of slurs she wanted to add as his middle name. 

It was not only two words? She didn’t care. She just wanted to see him suffer since that one night he mistook her as an intruder – and nearly killed her if it wasn't for her training and his brothers, alarmed, subduing him after hearing the commotion – while she was searching for a water bottle in the fridge. 

In her own house. 

Fuck you Jacob. 

Ha! Practice makes perfect! Now she just had to say ‘Fuck you Jacob!’ a million times until she got rid of the good feeling she would get whenever she would say his name. 

“Jacob.” She said it louder this time to see if it ‘satisfied’ him. 

“Once more.” Jacob Bitch Seed. (The slut title was reserved to the youngest. He earned it when she got tortured with hearing him and Holly Pepper… doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing… in his office. She honestly preferred Jacob's mockery to that. But it was worth it with how pale he got when he saw her right outside his door staring at him and Miss Pepper. She didn’t even snitch. He suffered enough in her opinion, from both Atoning himself and his shame when she caught him. Besides, snitches get stitches.) 

“Jacob.” She said once more. It was the firmest after the other two tries. 

He watched her for a few seconds more and she threw him a glare. “Can you stop now?” 

He blinked and let her go. Without saying another word, they started to race like normal. 

What the fuck just happened? 

After a couple of days of normal (Thank you, God.), one morning they had a mini archery competition instead of jogging. She won but gave it to him since her hyperopia did give her an advantage. And his last shot wasn't a miss as he implied. He did graze the target. 

“So that's why you use glasses to read?” He gave her an inquisitive look as she swung her bow and arrow satchel on her shoulder. 

“Yes. Annoying, when people just shove reports or maps in my face.” She might as well come clean with it. 

“Anyway, what do you want Jacob?” It was still weird calling him by his first name. 

He gave her an inquisitive look that almost made her shoot him for making her look ridiculous. 

“It was a competition. And competitions always have a prize. I bet you thought about it too. So, what do you want from me Jacob? And don’t question it, I’m just in a good mood today.” 

He stared at her – what the fuck is going on with the staring lately?! – and was about to say something but he quickly shook his head and turned his back to her. 

“Give me some time to think about it, Valkyrie.” She watched him once more leave her and he must have remarked she didn’t retort the new nickname like always. Valkyrie… she actually liked it.

Another couple of days passed, in which she hasn't seen Jacob at all since the Chosen managed to capture the Deputy… until they escaped. Jacob must have gotten pissed off at them or something for ordering such an early trial. She was just annoyed that if Jacob was preoccupied with the Deputy, he had the bad habit to work even more. (Hypocrite count: 1) 

One night she just came at his office and leave some reports about the new movements of the Militia when she realized he was still working. It was after the hour of lights out, and she herself was still awake (hypocrite count: 2) but he looked like he hasn’t slept for days. 

Without wanting too, she got worried over him. 

Pigs will fly or maybe she'll see a unicorn or a Yeti one of those days since no matter how times she thought it, the Collapse wasn't coming yet. But there had to be something going on. Right? Right. 

She had prepared for herself a cup of tea, chamomile, but she believed someone was far more worthy of it than her. 

“Jacob.” He was so endorsed in the map of the Whitetails he didn't hear her enter his office. 

“Valkyrie.” He apparently picked a liking to the nickname too. Or at least that’s what she thought. 

“I wanted to leave you some recon reports for you to find in the morning but it seems I might as well hand them to you…” He began to reach for the documents in her hand but she quickly moved them out of his reach, rewarding her with a peeved look, as if he couldn’t deal with her bullshit right now and to spare him. Too bad she wasn’t this merciful. 

“… after you take this cup of tea, drink it and go to sleep. Or at least you tell me what bothers you enough to not be able to sleep. So, I can deal with the problem in your stead.” 

“Cut the bullshit Hope and tell me why you are back to work already and not resting in the infirmary.”

She forgot how his enraged state could even scare her sometimes. And the only thing she was afraid of were the dark and high places. Not people. She found it hard to fear something once she understood it and could manipulate it. People were one of those such things. She didn’t fear them, but she was cautious of them. With darkness and heights where her control was as good as a lamb waiting to be slaughtered... she didn’t react well any longer... And fire. She hated fire. 

Apparently, Jacob Seed had the ability to make her weak when he was angry. And she hated him for that. 

She remembered how Andrews admonished her for leaving the infirmary but she took too much of a low blow for her pride not to scream at her to get up and do something. A week ago, she had gone to check on a cargo truck that had Bliss barrels, ready to be sent up to the Center when out of nowhere, lo and behold, the Deputy appeared out of the woods like the local cryptid that children would hear scary stories about. Her and her group of Chosen stood on guard but didn’t open fire as they knew the Deputy was in the middle of a trial. Besides, “Only You” was being broadcasted everywhere in the forest so it gave them a feeling of security the Deputy won’t start raining lead on them immediately. 

Hope observed the Deputy must have drained all their ammunition, on only God knows what, so they switched to a hunting knife. When she saw them slowly approaching, almost like one of the Angels of the Henbane, did she get a bad feeling. She ordered her team to prepare they bliss arrows just in case and she walked towards the Deputy trying to make them go away. What worried her was that the song was nearly ending and she had an inkling the Deputy will most likely lash out if they woke right beside a Chosen group and a truck full of Bliss. And Jacob indeed needed that shipment of Bliss. 

She would have killed them if it wasn’t for the Fa-… Joseph’s order so she had to act quickly and smart, before the song ended. 

Her chore list was easy: 1) chase away the Deputy; 2) secure the Bliss and her team; 3) get to the Center. 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3; Like a song and dance. 

And it was easy, until one of her man had been shot by an arrow, courtesy of most likely the annoying master huntress Jess Black, and another of her men being mauled to death out of nowhere by the mascot of the F.A.N.G. Center, Cheeseburger the Fearsome Grizzly. Both of them would have been great additions to Jacob’s army if not for the Deputy’s work to free them. 

She only turned back for a few seconds to scream at her squad to take cover and shoot the bear, no matter if it died, when she recognized it was actually quiet. The song had ended. 

She quickly turned back to the Deputy, who in record speed recovered from the influence of “Only You” and at the last second, Hope managed to dodge a knife throw straight at her neck. Too bad it ended in her shoulder. Gripping the wound on her shoulder, she dodged the Deputy’s attempts to stab her, while thinking the chances of survival of her team just went considerably lower with the Deputy awake and enraged. She started to scream at her men to retreat – no way she was losing any more of her students to the Deputy without a fight – and leave her behind. 

Just as she began to run from the Deputy – she was lucky she was much faster than them and got some ground between them – towards the woods, she quickly gave a look back to see if they managed to all get away. The truck managed to get away thankfully but it seemed only one of her men that was still alive was left behind and soon to become the Grizzly’s lunch. She recognized him by his height being one of the smallest Chosen in her group. Will Walter. He was just a teenager. She even had a fight with Jacob when he delivered the kid to her to train him. Damn him, damn his stubbornness and damn his authority.

She brought Will along that day in order to make him get some experience but if she would have even the smallest doubt this was not going to go according to plan, she would have never brought him with her. And all of it was her shitty luck’s fault. 

She got out her P226 and turning back and facing the enraged Deputy that wanted to stab her like the fucking killing machine they were, she dodged an arrow by running towards them and shot against the bear. She dodged the enraged Deputy (“Don’t you fucking shoot my bear!”) again and kicked them in the back. Another arrow ended in her leg. She screamed more out of anger than pain. Her vision was going red also, from the anger and hate. 

“Soldier, RUN!” 

And Will quickly took the message, her bullets distracting the animal, and he ran into the woods. 

Thankfully she managed to see from where the huntress was shooting from and before she could end the poor teenager’s life, Hope shot. The huntress, not expecting it, got hurt in her arm and let out a cry of pain and soon after a cry of rage at missing her target. 

Now Hope was left facing the music, or better said, the Deputy’s Wrath. 

With the arrow in her leg, she was not able to dodge the Deputy’s next attempt at stabbing her. She ended up with a knife planted in her side, making her soon vomit blood. She soon fell on her back from the weight of the Deputy on her and used her forearms to cover any vital points the Deputy might have liked to stab and tried to push them off her, failing. They were really mad she shot their accursed minions, huh? 

She thought the Resistance finally will have her head just like the Cook’s but to her luck, Eden’s Patrol Cars were passing through and stopped in order to assist her once they recognized her Chosen uniform. Or at least the Deputy’s uniform. She knew they gave no shit about her.

She couldn’t remember what else happened since she lost conscience. She just woke up in the infirmary of the Veteran Center in pain and with some good news and other bad news. The good news being that the cargo truck arrived successfully at it’s destination and the survival of Will Walter, scared for his life, but alive. 

The bad news... ugh... being that the Deputy and his hellions escaped, injured, but escaped. The stabs of the Deputy’s blade didn’t touch anything vital thankfully and she couldn’t move around as she pleased thanks to Jess Black’s arrow to her thigh. Oh, and that Jacob Seed was watching her and Andrews from a seat across the room, fuming and red in the face, while tapping his foot. He quickly dismissed Andrews and he, wise as always, ran away without giving her a second glance when she called his name. 

Damn. Fucking. Coward. 

She hated luck. And she hated when Jacob Seed would use his baritone voice to chew her head off for being so reckless and stupid. And how dare she command her men to run. Blah blah strong blah blah weak blah blah my authority blah blah the fucking Deputy. Blah blah. She was dizzy and sleepy from her medication so she stayed quiet and didn’t even register half of everything he said. 

When he realized she wasn’t actually listening he glared at her and left. And she stayed put in the infirmary while she convinced Will, after he visited her and brought her as a gift a bouquet of wildflowers and homemade chicken soup, courtesy to Terry, to bring her glasses and reports that ended up on her desk. 

With office work and the random sudden visits from her students (who apparently got harsher treatment after that mission; petty bastard) and of Joseph and John (which weirdly enough got surprised at her calling them by their first names but she didn’t bother questioning it too much) she didn’t get bored. Only annoyed when the both of them would take away her paperwork that more annoyingly she was doing slower thanks to the drugs. 

Trying to talk over how bad her inexistent fear of dying was and her insistence that God really didn’t give a shit about her with Joseph felt like a lecture, while with John, the flirting and coming up with religious looking forms of torture for the next visit of the Deputy in the Valley made her week less monotone. Until they couldn’t come anymore. Faith wasn’t able to visit since the Deputy was currently destroying the Henbane region but she sent Hope a bouquet of Bliss flowers. Which she quickly asked Will to send them to her room. Her room would stink of Bliss, surely, but she couldn’t deal with the drug right now, while she was still injured. If it wasn’t fortified with steel bars, she would have thrown them out the window. 

But worst was that she, sooner than she cared to admit, felt lonely when she didn’t saw the grumpy ginger anymore. The bastard didn’t even want to see her even to fight with her. Maybe he was mad a good tool of his got put out of commission. Fuck if she knew. 

Fuck you, Jacob. Fuck. You. And fuck you too Deputy. But most of all their stupid and cute animals. 

After three more days she got bored of the infirmary, took some painkillers and began to move around. No one told her anything (besides Andrews but he was a coward and she couldn’t care less anymore what he said to her) but of course, big old Jacob Seed had a problem with it. And back to the present. 

“Because I’m fine. I’m not disabled and I can function. And no, I can’t stop ‘bullshitting’ if you act like a child and refuse to sleep. Your lack of sleep will affect your productivity and thus mine and everyone’s work. So just do as I ask of you. Drink the damn tea and rest. I can keep watch for at least a couple of hours.” She threw him a glare and they both knew he actually didn’t have any actual arguments to oppose her. And he knew that she had the guts to bother Joseph if necessary. 

So, he took her favorite cup and drank from it. While he drank, she watched the rest of the room and how messy it got from the last time she had been there. It peeved her. 

“Two questions and no bullshit Jacob. Please.” She gave him the side eye while he drank from the cup and staring at her for a bit, most likely since she never bothered to say please unless the bastard forced her some way or another. Seeing his nod, she shot one of her questions at him. 

“Bad dreams again?” He averted his gaze for a second and soon nodded but as awkward as it was, she rushed to him and grabbed his chin, making him look in her eyes. Now that she looked at him better, she figured the situation was worse than she actually believed. Sunken eyes, pale face, he was also shivering... he had to have gotten sick from working himself to the bone. 

“Shit. Finish the tea and take a shower. And straight to bed with you. And no negatives Jacob or I will call Joseph and I believe you are not interested in a lecture at this hour.” She turned into a mother hen out of nowhere. He was surprised at her sudden authoritarian tone. Seeing his expression, she realized her mistake but it was too late and she couldn’t snap out of it either, even if she wanted. She went to his wardrobe, and cursed him a little in her mind for having the bare minimum, took some pajamas and was waiting for him to finish his tea. 

He watched her, still surprised over her giving him orders most likely, and before he set the cup down, he began to talk. 

“There was a new dream, different from the rest.” She went and leaned against his desk trying to make herself as comfortable as she could. This might take a while. 

“What happened?” 

“The fucking Deputy... they destroyed everything... Johnny and Joe... were dead at the hands of the Deputy and everything was on fire. The Collapse was happening. All followers were dead... that flower girl also dead... the fields were burning... and the Deputy’s bear was feeding on your corpse.” She couldn’t help but shiver a little at the mental image. They saw corpses of their men killed by that damn bear and that vicious cougar. Those corpses were nothing on the rest. 

“And Miller... or at least something that looked like Miller... was mocking me while the Deputy was leaving and mocking me along with Eli. To leave me alive and look at your corpses. And I was stuck, unable to do or say anything.” She understood where the fear was coming from. The Resistance was getting more and more confident with each day that passed thanks to the Deputy, acting as their Spartacus, Joan of Arc or Daniel Shays. 

Jacob was still watching the map of the Whitetails. 

“It wasn’t real, Jacob. And it’s not going to happen. Joseph’s prophecy will come true and we’ll regroup in the bunkers. Wait seven years and resurface. The Deputy won’t be able to stop it since it’s above what they can do.” Even if the County was in lockdown, they still had access to the radio waves from outside. Both Jacob and her heard what was going on outside with Korea, Russia and other world powers. The end of the world was coming and a mere Deputy from a little County in Montana won’t be able to do shit about it. 

“John... he may not intimidate the Resistance but he is one hell of a tough cookie to crumble. He’s too stubborn to die at the hands of that Deputy. Not saying he still has Deputy Hudson. And Joseph... they would have to kill all of us before the Deputy could even breath the same air as him. Besides, with what army? A bunch of rednecks? The Government only sent one, one, Marshal to arrest Joseph and they didn’t even search for the guy after he disappeared. They are neck deep in shit to care about the County so we have the advantage. As of the Deputy... maybe, maybe he is Hell as Joseph says. I don’t know. But I do know you went already through Hell and back in the desert and you survived. No way you’re going to die to an amateur that mostly improvises and just got out of the academy. And Palmer... at the end of the day he is just a prepper like the rest of the rednecks around here. Even if he served.” But that doesn’t mean she will ever underestimate the Resistance’s puppet, more so after the psycho nearly killed her. 

As she talked, he finished the tea and came to her side. She was jealous of how taller and how imposing he was but it would be a lie she didn't find him just as attractive as he was annoying. Much more in moments like this. And the worst is that she couldn't run like always and ignore how the butterflies in her stomach would flutter. 

And she hated it. Both of them could die any of those days and her having any kind of feelings towards him would just jeopardize her sanity. Just like when she was fighting the Deputy and she wanted her team, or at least what remained of them, alive and the truck delivered. This was war, and it was no place for a crush. That most likely wasn't even reciprocated. The man nearly killed her a couple of times and didn’t even say sorry. 

Actually, what the hell was wrong with her crushing on him? He was a jackass. 

“Damn, if you said Armstrong was in your dream then I would have worried. That woman... ha, that is an actual menace. Or that crazy redneck with the flamethrower… Boshaw was his name? Anyway -" she was shut up with a hand over her mouth. She looked annoyed at the ginger and his poker face only fanned the flames of her irritation-quickly-changing-to-anger. 

“I think I finally know what I want from you, Ark. Remember the competition?” It had been a while, yes, but she believed he forgot and didn't bother for the sake of her sanity to remind him. 

She shoved away his hand because “PER-SO-NAL space, Seed!” and continued to glare at him. “If you think you can skip on the shower and bed because of that and continue to work, you are so wrong soldier!” 

“Actually, I was more thinking that you have to join me since I won.” Before she could reply he lifted her on his desk and went to claim her lips. And as much as it wasn't a novelty she actually moaned into his mouth. And with his hand going to grab her ass and squeeze, it meant he liked it. 

Jacob Seed was easy to understand when it came to sex just as impossible to predict his moves when in a fight. She didn’t understand how it worked. 

They fucked before even if they both ignored the fact. It just happened one time when they were alone in the woods hunting. They just started to make out for some reason she couldn't remember, the situation escalated and she ended up naked in the woods hate rough fucking with him. She justified with feeling lonely and, in her head at least, he was lonely or just lustful. 

She went for lustful. 

Besides it was the best fuck she had until that moment in her life. How could she have snitched to Joseph when it felt so good having the Soldier fill her up so well? And those muscles… Hell, she always liked men big and strong. He was her type and in her opinion the scars and the burns made him so much more attractive. 

They both ended up feeling sated and out of energy (or at least that's what she believed when he didn’t complain for once) and they never spoke about it ever again afterwards. Until… 10 months after the ‘incident', when she was in the showers getting her hair cleaned of mud. He came to take a shower too and looked at her surprised since he clearly didn’t expect her there. She just looked bewildered at him also. After their puzzlement came the wandering gazes from the both of them over the other's body and… he fucked her hard against the wall. And she liked it. 

It was like a cycle. A couple months, they will fuck. Another couple of months, they will fuck again. At some point she realized the waiting stage would shrink more and more but she didn’t bother to announce it. She knew he must have realized it too. She just took a liking to it and she believed he took it as a stress reliever. She didn't care as long as feelings were not involved and they kept it only between them. 

They reached a point in which they would fuck almost weekly. But it all stopped when the attempted arrest of Joseph failed and he claimed the Reaping began. Since then, absolutely nothing. And she realized she actually missed him. Yes, he was there at the Center bossing her around… but she missed the Jacob she knew on a more intimate level. And then she realized she had a crush and started distancing herself from him by visiting the other Seed family members. Not Joseph at first because he would have seen right through her. 

It was better that way. She didn’t want to deal with heartbreak ever again. 

But apparently, he wasn't on the same page as her, as she believed. 

She came back to reality when he stopped kissing her to take air and pulled her closer to his body. She didn’t realize his hands slipped under her t-shirt until his fingers began to go up more and more towards her bra. 

“I missed you pup.” She felt insulted with how easily he turned her into a blushing school girl with a couple of words. And he must have knew that also seeing his smirk. 

She wanted to lie and tell him to go masturbate in the shower if he needed it but under the intense gaze of those sky-blue eyes she might as well just have been tied around his pinkie finger. 

“I… also missed you.” He chuckled with how she was panting while also wrapping her legs around his center. It was so familiar the motion but she was grumpy he wasn't as hard as she wanted him to be already. 

“You know something Valkyrie? Watching you that day, how flawlessly you were with the bow and afterwards giving me the win? What I wanted to do was throw you in one of my cages and just fuck you senseless into the bars to take you down a peg or two. But I decided to wait because I knew you would have loved it.” She couldn't help but get wetter when the mental image came to her. 

“Ja-Jacob, I-" 

“Hush now, pup. I need to undress you and catch up on all those months lost. I have to put you back in your place.” He kissed her again and like always she allowed him to do with her as he pleased. He began to cut her t-shirt in half with his hunting knife and she would have retorted if she wasn't getting lost in the whirlwind of her emotions and lust until his radio sparked to life. 

“Sir! We have seen the Deputy on the cameras around the Oberlin Picnic Area! What are your orders, Sir?” Unfortunately, she didn’t forget the resentment she felt towards the Deputy and her anger came back like a blazing inferno consuming all the emotions Jacob ignited in her earlier. 

He got off her for a second, but she was faster than him and took his walkie-talkie before he could reply. 

“Get ready to apprehend the Deputy! Follow them until I've reached you! I won't tolerate any mistakes so I better not get down there and see no Deputy in sight. Do not use the Judges in case they have any of their damn animals with them. Understood, Chosen?!” Her tone left no chance for refutation. 

“Understood Mam'!” Fortunately, they knew better than to question why she answered on Jacob's radio so, set on her mission, she pushed Jacob and went straight at his wardrobe to get herself one of his t-shirts since he was responsible for her ruined one. 

“What do you think you're doing?” She heard the impatience in his voice but she didn't care since she was thirsty for the Deputy's blood and she will hunt them like a rabid hound if necessary. 

“My job. And you will take a shower and wait for me to fuck you to sleep after I throw into a damn cage that little bitch. And if they have their bear, kill it and mount it's damn head above my bed. Is that clear, Jacob?” She turned to him after she put one of his t-shirts on and gave him a defiant glare, daring him to oppose her. 

“Excuse me, but did you said you were going to fuck me?” His mocking tone only fueled more of her anger and she reminded herself how much of a jackass he is. 

“Did I stutter Jacob?” She didn't wait a reply and was going for the door when she got pulled back by her arm and got kissed by him. He pulled her into his chest for a few seconds and gazing into her eyes he surprised her with his next statement. 

“Our bed.” His tone was final and meant he wasn't up for any retort on her part. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“As I said Valkyrie. Our. Bed. You can say goodbye to your old room. It's… more practical for the both of us if you moved in with me. No wasting time or get sidetracked from work.” She just laughed cynically at his last words. 

“And won't Joseph have anything to say about this new arrangement?” There was no way he was going to allow it and they both knew it. He just slapped her ass hard and squeezed making her squeak. 

“He may say something but it’s not like I listen to everything he says. And I order you to address my brothers by their titles once again. Understood, soldier?” With him groping her ass it was hard to think straight but she gave herself a pat on the shoulder when she didn’t stutter. 

“Affirmative Sir.” 

“Good. You have a hour once you reach the location of the other Chosen to capture and bring back the Deputy. Otherwise, I'll have to punish you for making me wait too long for your demonstration.” The jackass really knew how to get her excited. 

“Affirmative Sir.” She left his side and she was armed and out of the Center quicker than one could say ‘The Deputy will wish they never met Hope Celine Ark.’ 

She had to impress her superior, after all. And now she remembered she another question for him. Oh well, she will still ask him later. 

**Author's Note:**

> It's short compared to the stuff I've done.  
> I need to grasp more Jacob's personality.  
> (Besides I need to make John more serious, I'm getting tired of my own trope that he is a thot.)  
> Hope you liked it and please leave a reply stating why you wouldn't give it kudos lol. 
> 
> ... I think I will rewrite it someday. Or maybe add chapters. Not even I know it yet.
> 
> Also it was funny to find Terry was an actual character in the game. I just gave him a last name. He's more miscellanous since his name is said in a letter John wrote about joining his people in the bunker.  
> In this fic, Terry read that letter and was like: "Fuck this, I'm not spending seven years with this guy." and left for the Whitetails.


End file.
